QUALITY OF LIFE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA ATTENDING FOLLOW UP TREATMENT AT JIMMA UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER PSYCHIATRIC CLINIC, JIMMA, SOUTH WEST ETHIOPIA, 2018

Background: Schizophrenia is one of the most severe, chronic and disabling mental disorder found globally. The chronic nature of the illnesses significantly interferes with functioning in domains like physical, psychological, social and economic at last results in poor quality of life.

Objectives: To assess quality of life and associated factors of patients with schizophrenia attending follow up treatment at Jimma University Medical Center psychiatric clinic, Jimma, South West, Ethiopia, 2018.

Methods: A hospital based cross sectional study design was employed. Data was collected by interviewer administered pre-tested semi structured questionnaire from 352study participants who were selected by systematic random sampling technique. Quality of life was assessed by using the World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment Brief version (WHOQOL-BRIEF) and severity of symptoms (psychopathology) and medication adherence was assessed by positive and negative syndrome scale and Morisky medication adherence scale respectively. Data entry and analysis was done using Epi data version 3.1 and statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) 20 statistical software. Different assumptions of linear regression model were checked. Linear regression analysis was performed to determine an association between independent and dependent variables.

Result: A total of 351 patients with schizophrenia were participated in this study with 99.7 % of response rate. The mean ± Standard Deviation (SD) age of the participant was 33.57 ± 7.96 years, and ranges from 18 to 54.The mean (± SD) score of the WHOQOL-BREF scale in this study was 74.34 ± 15.83. Patients with schizophrenia had lowest mean score on the social relationship domain of WHOQOL-BREF scale. Income (β: 5.81, 95% CI: 3.45-8.18) was found to be positively associated with QOL. On contrary positive symptoms (β: -0.33, 95% CI: -0.49-(-0.17)), negative symptoms (β: -0.26, 95% CI: -0.45-(-0.06)), general psychopathologies (β: -0.22, 95% CI: -0.32-(-0.12)), comorbid physical illness (β: -4.69, 95% 95% CI: -8.50-(-0.88)), ever use of tobacco (β: -3.95, 95% CI; -5.34-(-0.95)), ever use of Khat (β: -3.95, 95% CI; -6.02-(-1.88)) and medication non-adherent(β: -5.81, 95% CI: -8.24-(-3.41))were found to be negatively associated with QOL.

Conclusion and recommendation: The domain of social relationship was the lowest domain of quality of life for patients with schizophrenia. Therefore, in schizophrenic patients, priority interventions to improve the social deficits are important.

Key words: Quality of life, schizophrenia, WHOQOL-BREF, Jimma, Ethiopia